Tokyo tightens security for the funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
(Baonghean.vn) - According to Reuters, the state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 27th is receiving much attention, as local officials strive to avoid a repeat of the security lapses pointed out in Abe's assassination in July.
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People place flowers in remembrance of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. Photo: Reuters. |
Abe was shot at close range by an assailant wielding a homemade gun while giving a campaign speech in Nara, a city in western Japan. The incident sent shockwaves through the country, where violent crimes are rare and high-ranking officials typically travel with minimal security.
Japanese authorities, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, have acknowledged that security lapses were also a contributing factor to Abe's assassination. And with so many important foreign guests attending the funeral at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, such problems could not have been tolerated.
Reportedly, the security plans include:
- Roads around the national funeral site will be closed from 2 PM on September 27th, and airspace within a 46 km radius of the site will be restricted from September 26th to 28th.
- Starting at 10:00 AM on September 27th, the public will place memorial flowers at designated points near the funeral site. Their belongings will be checked, and some may have to pass through metal detectors.
- Japan is implementing maximum security measures, with tens of thousands of police officers, including approximately 2,500 deployed from various locations, to bolster security in Tokyo. Officers and sniffer dogs have also increased counter-terrorism patrols at major train stations and Tokyo's Haneda Airport in recent days.
Police are patrolling highways to look for suspicious items, and checking around embassies and hotels where international visitors will be staying.
- Approximately 700 foreign guests will fly to Japan to attend the state funeral, including about 50 current or former world leaders.
- VIP guests included US Vice President Kamala Harris, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and European Council President Charles Michel. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau canceled his plans to attend Abe's state funeral to focus on responding to the severe storm.
- More than 1,000 Japanese military personnel will be deployed to the funeral, which is expected to have 4,300 guests. The honor guard will fire 19 cannon shots to bid farewell to Mr. Abe, and the military orchestra will perform.
The Japanese government plans to spend 1.65 billion Yen (US$11.5 million) on the state funeral, including 800 million Yen for security and 600 million Yen for hosting foreign delegations.
